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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
This is an odd one. The premise is instantly engaging, a woman who creates murderous duplicates of herself every time she bleeds. But the framing at the beginning and the end of the book – whilst effective for creating tension and allowing the novella to work both as a standalone and easing into a sequel – didn’t quite work for me. I also found parts of the book a bit slow going – a strange thing to say about a novella and the explanation for how Molly had ended up that way was ultimately to me not needed, proof that sometimes less is more. But despite all of these minor grumps, I keep finding myself thinking about various scenes and unpicking the hows and the whys so it’s definitely one I’d recommend people read.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The premise/plot gets 10 out if 10 for me. Clones? Heck yes. Clones tryin to kill the original? Hell yes!
The writing, unfortunately, didn't work for me. It felt so stilted. Sometimes I thought that was intentional, because one of the characters was multilingual, but as that character had less time on page, I started to think that wasn't the reason.
I also didn't care about Molly. She didn't seem like a fully fleshed out character. I was interested in what was happening to her, but not actually her.
I really hyped this one up in my head, so I'm extra disappointed. I'm not sure if I'll continue the series or not. I'm intrigued by the premise, but worried I won't like the writing again.
The writing, unfortunately, didn't work for me. It felt so stilted. Sometimes I thought that was intentional, because one of the characters was multilingual, but as that character had less time on page, I started to think that wasn't the reason.
I also didn't care about Molly. She didn't seem like a fully fleshed out character. I was interested in what was happening to her, but not actually her.
I really hyped this one up in my head, so I'm extra disappointed. I'm not sure if I'll continue the series or not. I'm intrigued by the premise, but worried I won't like the writing again.
dark
medium-paced
If this was novel length I think it would have been much better.
theme - a book from a subscription box
theme - a book from a subscription box
A weird and unique and violent, but a quick and intriguing read.
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Sexual content, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail
Molly Southbourne was taught four simple rules from a very young age:
The reason is also simple: Whenever she bleeds, she creates a perfect, murderous duplicate of herself.
It's tempting to go deeper into that premise, but to do so takes away the joy of discovering this odd, compelling story. Thompson thought it through, from beginning to end, and tells us exactly what it would be like to grow up with this sort of affliction. By all rights, the story should read like a clinical report on her condition, but Thompson frames everything through the eyes of Molly herself, and makes it come alive. It's not that we learn about her affliction; it's that we learn about Molly.
The only tripping point in the story is near the end, when Thompson attempts to explain Molly's affliction. He also attempts to make the story into something larger, using a framing device around Molly's story, which only gets in the way. I understand this is the first book in a series, which is disappointing, since it's hard to see what else Thompson would have to say about Molly. This novella feels self-contained, with questions left to be answered, without them having to be answered. That's not to say I won't read the next book in the series, but by itself, this story is fantastic.
A word of advice: Start this book when you have the time to finish it. It will suck you in like a Dyson, and nothing short of your house catching fire will take you away from it. Before this novella, I had never heard of Tade Thompson; afterward, I was adding his other books to my must-read list. It's an incredible read.
If you see a girl who looks like you, run and fight.
Don't bleed.
If you bleed, blot, burn, and bleach.
If you find a hole, find your parents.
The reason is also simple: Whenever she bleeds, she creates a perfect, murderous duplicate of herself.
It's tempting to go deeper into that premise, but to do so takes away the joy of discovering this odd, compelling story. Thompson thought it through, from beginning to end, and tells us exactly what it would be like to grow up with this sort of affliction. By all rights, the story should read like a clinical report on her condition, but Thompson frames everything through the eyes of Molly herself, and makes it come alive. It's not that we learn about her affliction; it's that we learn about Molly.
The only tripping point in the story is near the end, when Thompson attempts to explain Molly's affliction. He also attempts to make the story into something larger, using a framing device around Molly's story, which only gets in the way. I understand this is the first book in a series, which is disappointing, since it's hard to see what else Thompson would have to say about Molly. This novella feels self-contained, with questions left to be answered, without them having to be answered. That's not to say I won't read the next book in the series, but by itself, this story is fantastic.
A word of advice: Start this book when you have the time to finish it. It will suck you in like a Dyson, and nothing short of your house catching fire will take you away from it. Before this novella, I had never heard of Tade Thompson; afterward, I was adding his other books to my must-read list. It's an incredible read.
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don’t know what the hell I just read, but I couldn’t put it down.
2.5
It was ...odd. I thought the premise was interesting but I don't think it really worked in this book. I'm not going to read the next one as I just don't really care what happens next. I liked the start of it better than the middle or ending.
It was ...odd. I thought the premise was interesting but I don't think it really worked in this book. I'm not going to read the next one as I just don't really care what happens next. I liked the start of it better than the middle or ending.